Single-action discharge valve

Abstract

A single-action discharge valve for discharging a vessel's contents. The valve has a valve body with a passage therethrough through which the contents are discharged, a frangible seal held within the valve body and sealing the passage while the seal is intact, and a solenoid including an armature moveable from a first to a second position. As the armature moves, pins or teeth impact and break the frangible seal. Magnets hold the armature in the first position until the solenoid is actuated. The armature is substantially exterior of the passage so that discharge is unimpeded. In one embodiment, the pins reciprocate radially when cammed by the armature and impact the sidewall of a frangible dome seal. In other embodiments, teeth on the armature, or pins in the armature's path, reciprocate parallel to the armature's movement and impact a frangible disk.

1. A single-action discharge valve for discharging the contents of a vessel, said valve comprising:
 (a) a valve body having a passage therethrough through which said contents are discharged, said passage having a perimeter thereabout and said passage having a center; 
 (b) a frangible seal held within said valve body and sealing said passage while said seal is intact; 
 (c) a solenoid for selective connection to a power source for selective actuation thereby, said solenoid including an armature substantially exterior of said passage and movable from a first position to a second position, with substantially all of said passage passing axially through said armature, said passage having a substantially constant cross-section area from said frangible seal through said substantially all of said passage passing axially through said armature; and 
 (d) impacting means for impacting said seal remote from said center of said passage and proximate said perimeter of said passage and for breaking said seal into at least two pieces, said impacting means being moved by said armature to break said seal as said armature moves into said second position. 
 
   
   
     2. The valve as recited in  claim 1 , in which said valve further comprises a magnet for holding said armature into said first position until said solenoid is actuated. 
   
   
     3. The valve as recited in  claim 1 , in which said seal is a glass disk held about its perimeter within said valve body. 
   
   
     4. The valve as recited in  claim 1 , in which said impacting means comprises a tooth depending from said armature toward said seal. 
   
   
     5. The valve as recited in  claim 1 , in which said impacting means comprises a plurality of teeth depending from said armature toward said seal. 
   
   
     6. The valve as recited in  claim 5 , in which said passage has a central axis along which said armature reciprocates from said first position to said second position. 
   
   
     7. The valve as recited in  claim 5 , in which said seal is a glass disk held about its perimeter within said valve body. 
   
   
     8. The valve as recited in  claim 7 , in which said passage has a central axis along which said armature reciprocates from said first position to said second position. 
   
   
     9. The valve as recited in  claim 1 , in which said impacting means comprises a pin mounted for reciprocation within said valve body by said armature as said armature moves from said first position to said second position. 
   
   
     10. The valve as recited in  claim 9 , in which armature has a cam portion that engages said pin, and in which said reciprocation of said pin is within a plane radial with respect to said armature as said cam portion engages said pin. 
   
   
     11. The valve as recited in  claim 1 , in which said impacting means comprises a plurality of pins mounted for reciprocation within said valve body by said armature as said armature moves from said first position to said second position. 
   
   
     12. The valve as recited in  claim 11 , in which said passage has a central axis along which said armature reciprocates from said first position to said second position. 
   
   
     13. The valve as recited in  claim 11 , in which said seal is a glass disk held about its perimeter within said valve body. 
   
   
     14. The valve as recited in  claim 13 , in which said passage has a central axis along which said armature reciprocates from said first position to said second position. 
   
   
     15. The valve as recited in  claim 11 , in which said pins are spaced about said axis and said reciprocation of said pins is substantially parallel to said axis. 
   
   
     16. The valve as recited in  claim 11 , in which armature has a cam portion that engages said pins, and in which said reciprocation of said pins is radial with respect to said armature as said cam portion engages said pins. 
   
   
     17. The valve as recited in  claim 16 , in which said seal has a domed portion, said domed portion having a sidewall positioned for impact by said pins during said reciprocation of said pins.